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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: row · bore · cap · ruler · club · wound · hide · field

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. club — for golf
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. club — a group
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bore — to drill
  9. wound — an injury
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. cap — of ice
  12. row — to paddle
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. cap — a lid
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. field — a subject
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. field — farmland
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bore — to tire
  22. field — for sport
  23. club — for dancing
  24. row — a quarrel

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com